


Cleanse

by GoofyGoldenGirl



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Planet, F/M, First Kiss, Hot Weather, Kissing, Lotura - Freeform, Magic, Rituals, Temple, Touching, Volcanoes, Worry, hand holding, lava pool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 19:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13981872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoofyGoldenGirl/pseuds/GoofyGoldenGirl
Summary: Those who cleanse themselves in the fire shall purify and remerge





	Cleanse

“Is this the place?”

Allura and Lotor had landed in a barren world. The dying sun above cast down an unbearable heat in beams of red. Molten rock covered the ground below. Pools of lava bubbled and boiled over with a sizzling splash before filtering into the cracks on the ground. Not far ahead, the ruins of a temple could be seen, built into the side of a volcano. Allura could barely make out the Altean inscription that had been carved above the entranceway. Hundreds of thousands of years of decay and weathering left only lines and dust in their wake. 

“It is,” she said with certainty.

She rolled up the sleeves of her robes as far up as they could go but they provided no relief from the sweltering heat. Lotor, dressed in full uniform fared no better. The blotches of red against his purple skin darkened his skin. Sweat dripped down his face. His breaths came out heavy, almost as gasps, as his knees buckled. A hand shot down to steady himself.

“Are you alright?” Allura quickly moved in, her hands ready to catch him if he fell.

“I’ll be fine,” he answered. He closed his eyes with a pant before reopening them.

Allura pulled back. She still held her hand out with her palm facing up. Lotor got up to his feet. He turned and took her hand.

“Shall we go?” He asked.

His hand was clammy, yet her own hand wrapped around his’ and held a tight grip.

Yes.

Hand in hand, they started together towards the ruins. Allura’s markings started to activate as they drew closer. Her face scrunched up and she stifled a cry. The markings felt like they were on fire. Lotor’s teeth were clenched. His markings had turned a deep shade of purple and gave off a sickly glow due to the heat. Yet he kept on moving forward, his pace slow like hers until they reached the temple at last. It was then that he sunk down to the ground.

Allura picked up the skirts of her robe. She glanced about the sparse, circular enclosure, struggling to see through the steam that rose from the pool of lava in front of them. The altar was right ahead. She walked over towards it and touched it to cast her offering. Her hand burned.

“Golds of old receive our blessing to carry through,” she chanted.

White light formed into wisps and evaporated into the air. She drew her hand back and turned back to Lotor. He had taken off his boots and his hands went to his back to unzip his uniform.

A glance over at the lava, then at Lotor sent Allura rushing towards him.

“You don’t have to do this!” She exclaimed.

He stopped. His hands went back down to his sides.

“You’re the only one who can channel this type of energy. It’d be better if I acted as the transmitter,” he said.

“But you’re only _half_ Altean. We don’t know how much damage the ritual will do to your body. I should go in your place. I can withstand that type of exhaustion,” Allura anxiously replied.

Lotor took her hand again and gazed right into her eyes. 

“The universe cannot afford to loose an alchemist with the power that you possess. No one, not even—“ Vulnerability mixed with disgust flashed in Lotor’s eyes before softening again. “My mother has that type of strength.”

Lotor’s other hand reached up and cupped her cheek.

“Kings have come and gone. I am expendable. You are not. And with this,” he caressed her cheek. It lingered on her markings. “I will prove that my intentions are true.”

He stepped back. The flush on Allura’s cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson. She lowered her hand from the cheek that Lotor had touched and said:

“Very well. If you must.”

Lotor nodded. He removed his clothing. First, his uniform came off, falling down to the ground with a clatter. Then his undergarments, drenched with sweat, clinging tightly to his skin. His hands fell by his sides again and he gazed up at her. 

Back when Lotor was a prisoner, It had been Allura, Shiro, and Coran’s job to monitor his every action through the cameras in his cell. They had been witness to his more private moments, which included seeing him in states of undress. However, viewing Lotor nude in front of her was different. There was no screen to act as a barrier to separate them. Allura felt like an intruder to his privacy.

He joined her over by the lava pool. They stared down at the waves of molten rock that crashed against the edges. Allura jumped back. Lotor began to do the same but stopped, letting the lava touch the side of his foot. His skin reddened, then turned back to purple.

“ _Those who cleanse themselves in the fire shall purify and remerge,_ ” Allura recalled the ancient saying that The Alteans had about this world’s temple. 

“ _And those of spirit shall pass beyond the gates of the stars,_ ” Lotor joined in.

“You’re sure you’ll be alright?” Allura placed a hand on his arm.

Lotor glanced down at the lava and at her. 

“I will.”

He stepped forward and waded into the lava. Streaks of red ran across his skin. The lava swished about. But Lotor kept on walking until the lava was up to his shoulders. He then took a deep breath and dove under.

Allura hovered around the edges of the pool. She nervously clutched the sides of her robes as she awaited for Lotor to surface. Then bubbles popped up against the lava’s foam, a figure pushed up and Lotor reemerged with a gasp. His hand pressed against his chest, his arm shook as it reached out for her, and the waves threatened to pull him back down as he struggled to move back towards the front of the pool. Allura ran forward. The ends of her robe were singed, her feet and legs burned, but she grabbed Lotor around the waist and pulled them both back. She lay him down on the rocky floor, trying to be careful with her movements so not to hurt him.

He cried out in pain.

“It will—it will be over soon,” she tried to reassure him.

“I’ll be fine. Just go on. Do what you need to do,” his voice was hoarse. 

Allura’s hands went to Lotor’s chest. She could feel the energy spark up from Lotor’s body and seep into her palms. They felt like daggers plunging into her skin. Her hands curled. The energy shot through her. Everything went white. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Her mouth opened into a scream. The ground below shook. Cracks ran through the walls. Stars flashed in her vision’s eyes. They zoomed in at her at lighting speed. Their beams of light punctured her skin, moving down, through, then back up like a needle’s stitch. Gravity pulled her up. She fought, clinging to the body she had anchored herself to. The one that was turning into ashes of red beneath her fingertips, whose hair of white became absorbed by the light. The stars pulled. The body slipped. Allura reached out with another scream, unable to do anything as the stars carried her higher and higher than she had ever flown before.

Allura lurched back with a rattling gasp. The energy that pulsed through her palms flickered and faded as the portal materialized above them. Weakened, she sunk down onto Lotor’s chest. She felt it puff up against the side of her face. He breathed. With a relieved cry, she glanced up to find that he was awake, that his hands wrapped around her waist.

“We did it!” Allura exclaimed.

“By the gods we did,” stars twinkled in Lotor’s eyes as he looked up at the portal.

Allura’s face nestled against his neck. She felt his hand run through her hair. Her torso press against his. Then she lifted her head and lowered it against his forehead. She closed her eyes. His breath brushed up against her lips, then his head tilted up with his hand cupping her head. Allura’s eyes opened for a brief second in surprise before closing again. She kissed Lotor back, just as passionately, letting her hands grip his shoulders as he pulled her in, and she crashed onto him.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: I got the idea for this fic while I was in the shower a few weeks ago. It went through many modifications before ending up as the one you see here


End file.
